Arrival
by HappyTex
Summary: Barry and Caitlin Allen finally get to meet their bundle of joy. Find out how they chose her name as they talk to their little one during their first night together.
1. Chapter 1

"You're perfect." Barry's whispered to the newborn he'd swaddled (he practiced countless times when Caitlin wasn't home).

His daughter's grayish blue eyes were searching his face, taking him in as much as he was of her.  
 _A true scientist._

When she started to squirm and fuss, he got up from the chair and started walking, gently bouncing her. "Shhh…you don't want to wake up your mommy." 

He confirmed his exhausted wife was still asleep. Almost fifteen hours of labor and forty weeks of nausea and discomfort had completely wiped Caitlin out.

Barry wanted his wife to get some rest (and to be honest, he was eager to finally have a bigger, more hands on role as a father).

Once he was in the hallway he pulled his baby's tiny pink hat down further in an attempt to shield her from the harsh hospital lights.

Walking past the nurse's station he smiled and nodded to let them know he was fine and didn't need any help.

Since their room was at the end of the maternity wing in the middle of the night the hallway was clear, giving him a chance to chat with his daughter in relative privacy.

"I have a confession to make." He whispered into her ears, "We haven't picked out a name for you yet."

As if insulted by his admission, his daughter began to cry.

"No, no, no!" He rocked her, hoping to calm her. "Baby girl, just give us a day, we'll come up with something."

The infant continued protesting, her cry becoming louder. The swaddle he so carefully made was coming apart as she was fighting her arms through.

"Nora, don't cry!" He blurted, the name pulled from his subconscious.

And just like that, the newborn calmed down, her limbs relaxing once again.

"You like Nora?" Barry gave a small smile, delighted that he was able to soothe his daughter. "That's your grandma's name. She'd-" He swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. "She would've been so happy to meet you."

His daughter reached out her hand towards him and Barry couldn't help but let her grab his finger.

He was amazed at how this six pound, two ounce baby could have a huge impact on his life already. He played with her for a few minutes, savoring their private time as daddy and daughter.

"You know I have to run this name by your mom first." He teased, delighted at how naturally the two of them were bonding. His more rational side knew that he was simply thrilled because they had been eager to meet their daughter.

After so many attempts and grieving nights together, they finally were able to have this opportunity and they were going to relish and celebrate every moment.

"Nora Allen. I like the sound of it."


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of a fussy baby woke Caitlin up.

Gathering her thoughts her mind was pushing through to remind her of the where and why.

 _Central City General_

 _Gave birth to our daughter._

She grabbed her phone. Flicking her wrist, she turned on the flashlight and got a better view of the room and the clear bassinet beside her bed.

Peeking in, Caitlin could see her daughter free from the swaddle, fighting to lift her head. "Baby girl, please don't tire yourself out. Let me help you."

She scooped the infant up and brought her close. Seeing her fidget and open her mouth Caitlin figures it's time for another feeding. She fixed herself so she can nurse and the baby eagerly ate.

Looking over at Barry, dead asleep on the makeshift bed, Catlin knew could throw a party in here and he wouldn't notice.

While her little one was busy, Caitlin switched from her phone light to the small reading lamp she had on the tray.

Joe teased her when she insisted that she'd catch up on some reading. His advice was to sleep and get whatever rest she could.

He was right - she hadn't even opened her book.

But this small illumination gave her the perfect opportunity to soak in all the tiny details of her daughter.

Like the blue, slight gray eyes that were staring right at her, made even more striking since her baby barely had any hair, save a small dirty blonde tuft on top of her head.

She secretly hoped they would stay light, perhaps taking on Barry's green tint or maybe her father's blue. While her husband claimed that she had the most beautiful brown eyes, Caitlin wasn't so thrilled with them.

The vibration from her phone broke her thoughts and she saw it was a text notification.

She swiped the phone and read it.

 _Found an early flight, will be there with you after we check into the hotel. Can't wait to see Helena!_

Caitlin let out a frustrated growl. She was usually calm and level headed, but her mother was impossible some times.

Emily Snow was the type of woman who shared (and pushed) her opinion with everyone. When she and Barry came over to her parents' house to share their good news, she immediately declared that if it was a girl, she had to be named Helena.

After a heated back and forth during dinner, Barry and her father intervened, claiming the stress wasn't good for the baby.

She had thought her mother accepted things, but the text told her otherwise.

While she was still unsure what to name their daughter, she was certain the baby would not be Helena or any variation of it.

She was pretty sure her mother only loved the name because it was the name of some colleague of hers. The original Dr. Snow was enjoying a second career in academics, teaching bio-mechanical implants to the brightest at Metropolis University.

It was a prestigious job that allowed her mother to stay in the loop with the latest developments in the field.

Caitlin was truly proud of what her mother had accomplished, Emily was a pioneer in so many ways. She could hardly enjoy those moments, though, because her mother kept chiming in at how much further Caitlin could be in her career if she just followed her advice.

Annoyed with the assumption, she texted back, _We'll be here. And we haven't chosen a name for her yet._

Within moments, she got a response.

 _Why not? I had a list of names ready before you arrived. A name should be thought out and have meaning. I can send you over some right now._

There she went again - comparing their lives, their choices.

Caitlin knew it was immature and would only irritate things, but she replied, Barry and I want to make sure we get this right.

The message was still being sent when she received a small flurry of texts.

 _Sophie - your aunt would be thrilled_

 _Amelia - that was my second choice for you_

 _Rose - a student recommended this one when I asked the class for suggestions_

Once again her mother jumped into her life without an invitation.

 _Mom, we don't need more names. We will figure this out ourselves._

I was only trying to help. You sound stressed, get some rest. We'll talk more in the morning.

"You're so difficult mother!" Her voice is loud enough to cause Barry to stir.

Caitlin looked down and saw her daughter had finished feeding. Feeling guilty over missing what was a special moment, she put away her phone. "Why don't we go for a walk little one?"

She moved her legs over the side of the bed and got up. The draft instantly alerted her that she needed something over her thin hospital gown if she was going to leave their room.

She placed her daughter in the bassinet before she took the birth bag into her lap. (She packed it over a month ago which Barry found hilarious. 'Cait, can't you wait until at least it's closer to her due date?' He asked before having a pillow thrown in his face.)

After digging for a minute, she felt the beige robe she had packed. She wrapped and tied it securely and took her daughter as she slipped into the hallway. The station was busy as the next shift of nurses were starting to come in.

A young nurse rose from her desk as Caitlin stepped by. "Do you need anything Mrs. Allen?"

"I'm good thank you."

She turned the corner to head away from the station and chaos and found a quiet nook by the window. It was facing east and she could see the sun starting to creep over the horizon.

Her newborn gurgled which Caitlin took as a sign of enthusiasm. "It is beautiful, isn't it?"

She held up her daughter so they could see eye to eye. She was surprised to see the infant so alert. "Guess you're like me, a morning person. If you want we can do this as a part of our routine- watching the sun rise."

"She's maybe 26 hours old Cait, I think starting a routine is a bit much don't you?"

Caitlin's retort was stopped mid-thought as she caught the sight of her adorably disheveled husband, his hair uncombed and wild.

Seeing her reaction, he shrugged. "What? I was worried."

She laughed, unable to see what he would think would happen. She and the baby had all their bracelets on. One step outside the maternity ward and the alarms would go off. "Worried about what?"

"You and Nor-" He tried to give her an easy smile, but instead nervous laughter escaped. "You and our daughter were missing."

Caitlin saw through the denial. "You named her."

"I didn't." His emerald eyes looked everywhere, but at her, confirming her suspicion.

Their daughter began squirming in her arms. "Barry Allen, don't you lie to me."

"I'm not." He sighed. "We were walking and it just came out."

"Nora?"

"I just needed to talk to her and having a name was easier."

"Nora."

"Don't worry, I know you have the final say. After all you've been through, you deserve to pick out the name." He rubbed the back of his neck. "It was just an idea I had, but there's no need to feel like that's set in stone."

"Actually I think it is."

"Excuse me?"

"Nora, I love it."

"You do?"

"Of course." She stepped towards him and instinctively he makes up the difference. Her soft brown eyes meet his green. She chuckled to herself - her mom was right in one regard. "A name should have meaning. Nora is perfect."

"Thank you Caitlin." His voice is quiet so only she and Nora could hear. "I love you."

"I know."


End file.
